Enrollment
456
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Blue Springs, MO
James Walker Elem.
Federal NCES profile for James Walker Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 290531000083
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James Walker Elem. earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #2 of 8
- elementary schools in Blue Springs · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.7:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 33.3%
- free-lunch eligible
James Walker Elem. has class sizes larger than 77% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James Walker Elem. ranks #2 of 8 elementary schools in Blue Springs, MO.
School address
District: Blue Springs R-Iv · Missouri
NCES ID 290531000083 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.3%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Walker Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at James Walker Elem.
James Walker Elem. is a mid-sized elementary school in Blue Springs, Missouri, enrolling 456 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 456 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 515 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #171.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and African American (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 456 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Blue Springs R-Iv also operates Blue Springs High (2,429 students) and Blue Springs South High (2,299 students) alongside James Walker Elem..
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How James Walker Elem. compares
James Walker Elem. on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.7:1 | ▲ 15% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.3% | ▼ 28% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 456 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
456
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 77% in Missouri - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,399
per pupil, district-wide
- below Missouri avg of $12,931
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 456 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
45
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 57.7%
African American 17.3%
Hispanic or Latino 15.4%
Two or More 7.7%
Asian 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 57.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.7, James Walker Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Blue Springs R-Iv, which includes James Walker Elem..
$11,399
Per student
-12%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.8%
State 25.6%
Federal 7.6%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How James Walker Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Springs High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blue Springs South High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paul Kinder Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Delta Woods Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Moreland Ridge Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James Walker Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,429
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,299
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 919
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 831
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 813
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~456 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James Walker Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare James Walker Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Blue Springs R-Iv's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about James Walker Elem.
How many students attend James Walker Elem.?
James Walker Elem. has 456 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Blue Springs, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Walker Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at James Walker Elem. is 14.7:1, which is 15% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James Walker Elem.?
33.3% of students at James Walker Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Walker Elem.?
The largest demographic group at James Walker Elem. is White at 57.7% of enrollment, in Blue Springs, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Walker Elem.?
James Walker Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does James Walker Elem. rank among elementary schools in Blue Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, James Walker Elem. ranks #2 of 8 elementary schools in Blue Springs, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Blue Springs on the city page.
Is James Walker Elem. a good school?
James Walker Elem. earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Blue Springs R-Iv?
Besides James Walker Elem., Blue Springs R-Iv also operates Blue Springs High (2,429 students), Blue Springs South High (2,299 students), and Paul Kinder Middle School (919 students). See the Blue Springs R-Iv district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.